The Gazette has received several calls and emails concerning the fate of the Broad Ripple fire station. Many will remember when the fire truck was quietly removed from station 32 on December 1, 2005 (Broad Ripple Gazette Volume 2 #26). The latest talk of the Village is the possible removal of the EMT staff and equipment and the closing and sale of the building.

I contacted the Indianapolis Fire Department for comment. IFD public information officer Rita Reith stated, "At this time, there are meetings being held between the Mayor's office, the Director of Public Safety's office and [IFD] Chief Sanford's office concerning budget issues, and ways to streamline IFD services to best utilize next year's budget. No decision has been made in any direction concerning the closing of a particular fire station or the elimination of any services. All IFD stations and all IFD services are being looked at to make sure they are used in an efficient, cost effective manner. Public Safety remains our number one priority, and at no time would services to any part of the community be compromised without a thorough evaluation. In the event that the decision is made to close a station or eliminate services, Chief Sanford will provide an opportunity for feedback from any neighborhood associations that might be affected."